(image: Namyangju Slow Life International Festival)
NAMYANGJU, Sept. 26 (Korea Bizwire) — An international festival for healthy eating and eco-friendly lifestyles in the South Korean city of Namyangju is successfully being conducted since its opening late last week, organizers said Tuesday.
The accumulated number of visitors stood at about 260,000 as of Sunday, the third day of the Namyangju Slow Life International Festival that will end on Tuesday for a five-day run, the organizers said.
This year’s festival is sure to become a big success in consideration of 400,000 visitors during the 2015 event, which was held for 10 days, they said.
Under the theme “Food, City and Health,” the festival brings together participants from around 40 countries.
The slow lifestyle is aimed at improving quality of life by adopting traditional methods of eating and living, which eventually lead to the three spirits of the event — health, environment and empathy.
Organizers said the three core spirits are based on a philosophy advocated by Jeong Yak-yong, a scholar from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). His philosophy is aimed at improving the environment, economic value and the social status of rural regions.
Under the slogan of “Slow Life into Living,” the festival features a range of exhibitions, performances, forums and opportunities to taste foreign foods and drinks.
On Sunday, the ordinary diets of Vietnam and Egypt were introduced as a food show.
At the good life hall, various experience events, including making healthy food with Korean chef Oh Se-deuk, were underway.
A rock festival at an outdoor concert hall brightened up the festival’s mood, participated in by such popular rock groups as NO.1 Korea, T.A-Copy and April Second.
On Monday, home meals of the Philippines, Poland and Slovakia were displayed at a food show, and the host city’s main local food was introduced during a cooking competition.
Namyangju, east of Seoul, has held the festival since 2013.
(Yonhap)
